I used a limited palette on this painting of Transparent Red Oxide, Pthalo Blue and Transparent Yellow with Zinc White. I need to research the zinc white as someone told me it isn't a good choice. I liked how clear the colors looked with that white as it isn't very opaque. I also like the perspective on this view.
A beautiful day in the summer and the neighborhood is having a group party with lots of pot luck dishes and plenty of things to eat from the grill. There are horse shoes, frisbees and volleyball. Someone is playing a guitar around a campfire built to roast marshmallows, not for keeping warm. But eventually everyone meanders down to the pond to watch the ducks, try their luck fishing, or paddle out in the canoe. These little people are hoping to catch some minnows or tadpoles.
We had a spectacular fall in the NE and then had a huge wind storm. One day I looked out the window and saw the leaves blowing across the back yard and wanted to capture what I saw from memory. I spend a few moments studying the big pieces of composition and note the values and colors. The blue of the sky and water are much less colorful in the painting...more of a whitish gray with a tint of blue.
My studio is a converted garage so n warm weather I can open the garage door and see this view which changes dramatically with the seasons, light, and atmosphere. I feel very blessed.
The most fun in painting this was the folds of the tunic, but how can anyone resist the excitement she expresses in picking her first flower. Someday someone will tell her that dandelions are weeds, but until then, what magic there is in crawling in a field of flowers!
The title says it all. My daughter and her family left to move to Oregon today. I am elatedly happy for them and seriously sad to be missing them already. They sold their house yesterday...how fortunate is that, since they only put it on the market 2 weeks ago?! Anyway, this painting is titled "Moody" and that is how I am feeling. Thank goodness for Skype, unlimited long distance, and jet airplanes! I can't imagine how mothers felt when their children took off from the East to travel the Oregon Trail.....yikes!
My nephew is home from his tour in Afghanistan and we are thrilled as you can imagine. I decided to hang the flag everyday he was gone to remind me to think of him and the other young men in danger for our country. Then I planned to paint it when he got home, so I am really happy to post this one. This is the side of our house where we have a little porch, bench and wood pile with a lovely crab apple tree to host lots of birds. Today is also my husbands birthday so he is going to celebrate by taking off work and golfing with one of our sons.
